Constitution Hill: The Hurdling Crack Set to Test the Flat at Age 9

With Oisin Murphy in the irons, the son of Blue Bresil, Champion Hurdle winner in 2023, will compete this Friday over 2400 meters on the synthetic track at Southwell, England

Constitution Hill is ready to make his mark on the flat / GOOGLE

SOUTHWELL, England (Special for Turf Diario).- This is not a comeback nor a farewell. It is, simply, a curiosity that is shaking British racing. This Friday, the hurdles superstar Constitution Hill will set aside the obstacles to make his flat racing debut on the synthetic track at Southwell Racecourse, in the SBK Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes, and he will do so with none other than the champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle.

The scene feels part experiment and part final exam. At 9 years old, and following a brilliant campaign interrupted by injuries and falls, the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner is back at the center of the stage. That afternoon at Cheltenhamwas superlative: a 14-length victory and a Racing Post Rating of 177, higher even than the best record of the legendary Istabraq (Sadler's Wells) since those measurements began. More recently, he still showed his class by defeating Lossiemouth (Makfi) in the Christmas Hurdle (G1) at Kempton.

However, the latest stretch of his hurdles campaign has been bumpy. Between injuries and stumbles, he has completed only one of his last 4 starts. His trainer, Nicky Henderson, and owner Michael Buckley then decided to try a different path: sending him to Southwell to evaluate not only his physical condition but also his competitive mind. Can an elite jumper reinvent himself on the flat?

Murphy, recruited for the occasion, did not hide his enthusiasm. “He is a superstar. In his work, he felt fantastic. Based on what he has done and what he shows at home, one would expect a great performance,” noted the rider, who knows the Southwell track in detail and understands that the night will not be an ordinary meeting: ITV will broadcast live and the media expectation is enormous.

The question looming is inevitable: how does top-level class over hurdles translate to the flat? History offers varied precedents.

The most resonant was Istabraq, a triple winner of the Champion Hurdle, who had been a winner on the flat before shining in jumps, though without reaching stakes level. Even further back, the legendary Persian War (Persian Gulf) successfully alternated between both disciplines in the 1960s.

In more recent times, Hurricane Fly (Montjeu) — another hurdles legend — had also competed on the flat at the start of his campaign, while cases like Quevega (Robin des Champs) proved that an occasional change of surface could be beneficial, although almost always as a developmental experience rather than a definitive career shift.

Much closer is the name of Ethical Diamond (Awtaad), who under the guidance of Willie Mullins and Dylan Browne McMonagle won the last Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar, having previously competed on several occasions over hurdles.

The challenge for Constitution Hill, however, is different: he is not a young project searching for an identity, but an established champion attempting to open an unexpected door in his maturity.

Henderson prepared him meticulously, even taking him to practice breaks from the starting stalls at Charlie Hills'. He will break from an outside draw, but the trainer trusts Murphy's skill to position him.

The field will not be decorative. The Irish horse Daddy Long Legs (Almanzor), with a G3 background over hurdles, and the promising Square Necker (Zarak) add quality. But the focus will be on him.

Is it a simple test to clear doubts before an eventual return to Cheltenham? Or the beginning of a second sporting life?

On Friday, when the stalls open at Southwell, the racing world will watch with the same mixture of intrigue and fascination that has accompanied him since his debut at Sandown. Because beyond the result, when a champion dares to step out of his comfort zone, the spectacle is already guaranteed.